The Lion and Unicorn Theatre is one of K-Town’s more underrated artistic jewels. Swing by the downstairs pub around 7pm on any given show night and the place is buzzing with a pre-theatre crowd, all cramming in some decent tucker and grabbing a wine (which you can take upstairs too). Heck, it’s like a mini (leafier) Southbank.
And the theatre, run by director George Sallis and his Giant Olive company, has long made a name for itself on the vanguard of some cutting edge productions, a reputation set to be further enhanced by a three week long contemporary dance and performance festival, simply entitled GoLive.
The genre might not have basked in the limelight as much as other dance forms, but this festival, curated by arts journalist Donald Hutera, is worth a watch. Showcasing 50 acts over 21 days, it will focus on “risk, intimacy and play”.
Every night will comprise of up to six performances. We defy you not to jig your knee to Element Dance’s show Birds of Paradise, which promises “samba meets beatbox…with feathers on.” Or gawp at the supple human form in Renaud Wiser’s The Skin Walkers, “a short, intricate duet exploring the ability of the human body to morph into a multitude of forms”. Or how about Darren Ellis Dance’s Long Walk Home, one of a series of individual portraits of different women, “each at a different stage of life”, with music from acclaimed folk duo the Askew Sisters?
And remember, rave pub The Abbey is just down the road if you fancy recreating a move or two afterwards.
